The Will of Edward Quartermaine: The Tempest
by Gillen1962
Summary: Ned, Sam, Michael and Curtis find a pattern that strikes like a viper. The Albanians Operative arrives in Port Charles. Steven Lars has one sentence for Franco. "Hello Brother, what the hell are you doing marrying my sister?"


_The Will of Edward Quartermain: The Tempest_

Franco Baldwin jumped up from the couch as His wife Elizabeth entered their home. "Hi, Honey you're home." He said as she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Yes. I am and with good news" Elizabeth said.

"And that would be?"

"You are looking at the new Head Nurse of General Hospital. The Board made it official this morning in an unanimous vote"

Franco lifted his wife off her feet and spun her around. "Yes. Yes. I am so happy for you. This is what you always wanted."

"Yes."

They kiss, long and deep. Elizabeth sigh. "And I have other news."

The doorbell rings and they break their hug as Franco goes to answer the door. He opened it and saw Steven Lars Webber.

"Franco?" He said.

"Yes?"

Steven Lars reeled back and punched Franco in the jaw, knocking him down. "Hello Brother, what the hell did you think you were doing marrying my SISTER?"

Franco shook off the punch and reared back his fist. "Stop this right now!" Elizabeth yelled. "Steve what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?" Steven said. "What were you thinking Elizabeth marrying this freak."

"Stop it Steve, Franco is a good man."

"He is Heather's son."

"So are you, Brother." Franco replied.

"But I am not a serial killer."

"No, you just killed one guy and without a brain tumor to blame."

"Steve you need to stop" Elizabeth said.

"Stop? Are you insane Liz, do you have any idea how crazy this is? He is my brother and you are my sister."

Elizabeth began to say something, but Franco held up his hand and said. "He has a point I don't know how I would feel if my sister married my brother."

Elizabeth side eyed him and said. "Serena is dating Drew."

Franco makes the brain exploding hand gesture.

"This is not funny." Steven Bellowed.

Hayden walked through the open door. "Knock Knock." She stood for a moment then laughed. "Oh, look a dysfunctional Webber Family reunion."

"Who the hell are you?" Steven asked.

"Our Sister." Elizabeth answered.

Franco shook his head. "Could this get any weirder?"

"It just did." A tall older man stood by the doorway. He caught Franco's eye and held out his hand. "Hi I'm Tom Hardy, their Uncle."

Carly Benson opened the door of her home to greet her son Michael. "Hey Mickey, how are ya?

"Mom?" Michael said. He shook his head. Jax had warned him. So had Joss. But the sight of his mother in painted on white spandex pants, a flower print off the shoulder blouse and a feathered boa placed Michael in the position of walking away in revulsion or laughing out loud.

She kissed him on the cheek. "How ya doing honey. Come on in."

She led Michael to the living room, where three girls younger than he in various stages of undress lounged about.

Nisida came up to him and slid her half naked body against his. "Hiya Handsome looking for a date?"

Michael turned various shades of red and said. "No. No thank you." He looked at Carly. "Can we talk in private?"

"Girls go on upstairs."

"Hey Carly when are we going to get some?" One of the girls asked.

Carly nodded her head at Nisida who slaps the girl. "You get fed, you get more a night then you did on the street. Lady Benson will have us serve men when we are ready."

Nisida grabbed the girl by the arm and led her out. The third girl followed meekly

"Mom what the hell are you doing?"

"Getting ready to sell coochie." Carly said straight faced.

"Mom. "Michael began to say something and then stopped. "You know what Forget it. In all my life neither you nor Sonny ever paid a single bit of attention to the advice I tried to give you. Hell bent on your own demise. I brought the papers from the sale. It is finalized today, and the money has been transferred into your accounts."

"How much?" Carly asked.

"Ten Million." Michael said. "But it comes with all the same stipulation of any money from ELQ. Use it in any way to help Sonny regain his business and the money is forfeit. And I remind you, you signed the codicil that said if the money is forfeit for aiding Sonny the sale is still valid."

"I am not going to use it to put Sonny back in power Michael. I am going to use it to make up for some of the wrong he and I have done."

Michael wanted to believe his mother more than anything in the world. But he had been lied to and played the fool by her and Sonny far too often. "Well good for you Mom." He said as he handed her the folder with the paperwork. "These are your copies."

Carly took them. Michael shook his head and left. As he exited the room, he passed Dev on his way in. Michael nodded and kept going.

"Miss Benson?"

Carly looked sad. "Yes Dev?"

"Those girls have eaten everything again. May I take the car and get some supplies?"

"Yes."

"May I take Nisida with me. She knows what…girl products…they need."

"Good idea." Carly was clearly bored.

Dev nodded and left.

Ned Quartermaine and Sam McCall sat in the conference room at ELQ. The conference table is covered with folders.

"None of these leads to any of the others." Ned said has he picked up a folder and dropped it back on the tabletop.

Sam walked over to the white board and picked up a marker. "Let's try this. Read off the names of the companies that have interfered in an ELQ deal"

Ned nodded and picked up a folder. "Bushwhacker, which seems to be a fashion house: beat us to a deal for silk manufacturer in Hong Kong."

Sam wrote it down.

"Copperhead International. Cut in on a real estate development in Chicago."

Sam nodded.

"Diamondback LTD. Who of course stopped a shipping deal in South Africa? And Fer de Lance, which is a security company, that ended a deal for a string of Pharmacy centered here in Port Charles and running up and down the coast."

Sam shook her head. "Why would a security company want to own a Pharmacy?"

"Thinking that is the least of our worries." Ned said.

"Disagree. The oddity of stands out. "

"it is all odd." Ned said. "We can keep going over these six ways to Sunday there is just not enough information here to form a link."

"We need some one inside." Sam said. "I have an idea."

She took out her phone and dialed. "Hey Curtis, it is your favorite partner in crime, no not Hayden, yuck. Look can you come to the ELQ offices I think we have a case."

Jason Morgan parked the delivery bike in front of Leka's pizza on 250th and Bedford Park Blvd in the Bronx.

"C'kemi Alan" said Arbor his boss as he walked in.

Alan Lee Holt was the name that Jason was currently using as he investigated the Albanian, a mysterious mobster who had taken over Sonny's territory and chased him out of town with his family under threat.

"Hi." Jason said. He looked round. There was a contentment in this work that he had not found for years with his work for Sonny. The simplicity of it. He remembered when right after the accident that had damaged his frontal lobes, he had worked in a bike shop. He lived above the shop. He was in love with Robin and life was uncomplicated. The more he had become entangled with Sonny and Carly the more complicated his life had become.

Several times he had sought some simplicity. That was really what Liz was all about, the mother of his son Jake, a nurse, she wanted nothing to do with the mob life. With her things would have been simple. But he rejected her, really in many ways rejected Jake and had gone back to work for Sonny.

Sam, the mother of his younger son Danny, had embraced the life, but as his time away from her extended he realize that far too often he had put her second to the needs of Sonny and Carly. He wondered why Sam tolerated it. Oddly it made him think less of her because she tolerated being put second. He did not really understand why. Complicated emotions caused him pain, and this was complicated.

Rovena the daughter of his landlord, came into the pizza place. She walked over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. It had taken Jason a week to realize that this was a typical greeting among not only the Albanians in his neighborhood but amongst the people he encountered in New York in general.

"I have two tickets to Ricky Martin at the Lehman Center of the Performing Arts for tonight." She said instead of hello.

"Who?"

"Ricky Martin, he is a singer. Spanish guy, from Puerto Rico?"

"Like Miguel Morez." Jason said with a smile.

"Yeah Ricky is not as famous but yeah. This guy in class was giving them away."

"Good for you." Jason said.

"Would you like to go?" Rovena asked.

Jason was not the least bit interested in the music, but the girl was schooling him on Albanian culture, even teaching him the language. "Po." He said which was Albanian for yes.

Two Hispanic Boys came in. One went to the counter and ordered two slices. Arbor at the counter turned to put a pie in the oven. As he did the boy reached into the tip jar and took a handful of cash. Jason jumped up and grabbed the boy's arm. "Put that back" He said softly

"Back off man, ain't none of your business." The boy said.

Jason heard the second boy behind him a half second before Rovena yelled. "Alan behind you."

Jason punched the first guy in the mouth and quicker than a snake striking Jason spun and rammed his fist into the mouth of the second boy. Jason took both by the collars and tossed them out of the place.

"Hey thanks Alan" Said Arbor. "Fast hands brother."

Rovena took his arm and laughing said. "Oh, so strong." She kissed him again on the cheek this time Jason did not think she meant hello.

"Hey Alan, just keep an eye for a second will you. I need to check the storeroom." Arbor said.

Jason nodded.

In the storeroom Arbor dialed his phone. "Sir, Leka. Yes, yeah, the guy Alan, He just beat the snot out of two punks who came in. Fast hands. Fastest I have ever seen. No, he…Sir, I would never presume to tell you your business but truthfully, this guy seems happy delivering pizza and hanging out with the Krasniqi Girl. Oh yeah, he likes her. He may not know it yet, but he likes her. Okay Sir, No problem."

Arbor walked back into the dining room and went to the register. "Hey Alan, come here a minute."

Jason walked up to the counter. "You've been a big help around her, and if you are going to start chasing away the little punks that is even better" He sliped Jason a fifty-dollar bill. "Take this and have dinner tonight before your concert. Try Montezuma's on Kingsbridge"

Jason blushed. "Hey there is no reason."

"Take it and you two have fun."

Jason had learned that turning down a gift was an insult in Albanian culture, so he said thank you and smiled. He turned to Rovena "So you know a place called Montezuma's?"

Rovena's smile lit up the room. "You bet I do."

She hung her hands around Jason's neck and hugged him.

Elizabeth Webber had finally herded her family into the living room. Franco and Steve glared at each other. Hayden Smirked at every one, and Tom looked smug.

The various ways they were related had been sorted out, including explaining to Steven Lars how Hayden was his sister. To say he was not pleased with his father would be an understatement.

Steven was taking his anger out on Franco who much to Elizabeth's surprise and delight was deftly deflecting it and attempting to keep the conversation pleasant.

"So, you don't kill people anymore, without this tumor?"

"No." Franco said patiently.

"I heard though that you tried to kill our Mother after the tumor was removed."

Tom laughed.

"What is so funny?" Snapped Steve

"Nephew have you met your Mother?" Tom said. "Half of Port Charles has reason to try to kill her."

"I am not worried about all of Port Charles I am worried about my brother over there."

"Like you never tried to kill her." Tom said.

"I just threatened her."

"And that makes it so much better." Said Franco.

"I need to meet this Heather" Hayden said smiling

Elizabeth decided to be the adult in the room. "Can we all agree that we all have at least wished Heather dead on occasion."

"I never met her" Said Hayden

Elizabeth sighed. "If you met her you would want to kill her trust me."

Franco and Steve both nodded. Steven Lars sighed. "Okay Heather aside can talk about the weirdness of my sister marrying my brother?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Frankly no. She can't. Franco and I are not related. We did not meet till we were adults. He did not even know Heather was his mother till a few years ago. So, no we cannot talk about it and after today we are never going to talk about it again."

"I'm going to bring it up occasionally, just between us girls" Hayden said.

"Hayden why are you here anyway?" Elizabeth asked.

Hayden looked away for a second. "Truthfully? I heard that Steven Lars had been released and was in town and I wanted to meet my big brother. I figured this was the place to start"

Elizabeth was not buying that explanation, but she was also in no mood to pursue it. "Well now you have met."

"No offense to you Hayden but what the hell was my Father thinking."

"He wasn't" said Tom. "But then again he has a history of it."

"Hey." Snapped Steve

Elizabeth shrugged. "Come on Steven it is not like Mom and Dad were prize winners."

'That's fine for you to say Elizabeth but where does he get off."

"Jeff is my brother, Steven and while we may not be close, we do stay in touch. His disappointment in you is profound."

Steven jumped up. Franco steps between him and the older man. "Sit down bro,"

Tom shook his head. "You developed a jail house temper. Hey out of curiosity how did you get out?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Steve, I have been curious about that as well. "

"There was an outbreak of Lassa fever at the prison. I used Grandpa's Steve's old notes and saved over 100 inmates and guards. The governor pardoned me and petitioned for my medical license to be returned."

"Ahh the Sonny Corinthos method of exoneration" Franco said. Hayden held out her hand for a fist bump. Franco ignored her.

"Well I am sure Dad would be glad you used his notes Steve. "Said Tom "And saddened that you murdered someone in the first place."

"To save a little girl."

"One life does not outweigh another life." Tom said.

"Must be easy to not make hard choices when all you do is talk to people" Snapped Steven.

"Sounds like you need someone to talk with. A little PTSD from prison nephew.?" Said Tom

"Don't give me that nephew crap. You have not even been in the states in years. How the hell are you going to run a stateside hospital?"

"And there we are." Smiled Tom. "You don't like this little competition, do you?"

"I have run GH before." Steve said.

"Into scandal after scandal. Two doctors convicted of murder within months of each other, and then a known terrorist appointed to fill my Father's legacy. Thank God for Monica stepping in."

"Well since Monica is there why don't; you just go back to Somalia and let us handle My grandfather's legacy?" Steve responded getting angry

"Because I do not want the legacy of my Father soiled again." Tom said calmly.

"Adopted Father" Steve said. "You are more closely related to the serial killer here then to Grandpa."

"Says the bastard grandchild, whose brother is the serial killer."

"Hey' Said Franco "The reformed serial killer has feelings."

Hayden smiled; this could be used to her advantage.

Steven Lars growing more and more angry was right up in Tom's face. Hardy maintained a cold demeanor that aggravated Steve Lars even more.

"Enough." Yelled Elizabeth. "I am not going to have this in my house. And damn it I am not going to have it in my hospital. I am the head of the nursing staff now, which means I will be on the final committee choosing between the two of you, and right now I would not appoint either of you to be janitor at GH. Now get out of our house until you both grow up!"

Nina Reeves could not help but smile as Maxie looked around the small studio space that they had rented for Maxie's new fashion design house. Maxie looked like a kid in a candy store.

"This is so awesome. I finally get to design." She said.

Nina smiled. "Yes, but do not forget the real reason you are here, we want your designs to be good enough your company to be good enough to attract the attention of Bushwhacker."

Maxie nodded. "I know they will be."

"Well I was trying to find a way to combine Georgie and James names, but that was not working out. Then it dawned on me I am uncover and all so this is kind of a lie. So, once I made sure that Lucy had no objections, I went with an old Port Charles classic. "

"And that is?"

"Nina, welcome to the House of Deception."

Willow Tait felt a surge of contentment as she and Harrison Chase sat at the outdoor tables of Kelly's having lunch. Chase saw the look on her face and said. "Feeling happy?"

"Very and you?"

Chase nodded. "Yes."

"No cases nagging at you?"

"Ha, there are always cases. The mysterious woman who attacked the mayor first and foremost. I mean we know that It was Alex Devane, Anna's sister, but we have no idea why."

"The Mayor wasn't hurt, though was she?"

"No bit she was unconscious for several hours."

"I spoke with her son and the two of us are supposed to go and retrace her steps later on this afternoon see if we can find anything."

"He is a WSB Agent, right?"

"Yes. He is back in town now. So is his brother though Ethan is not Laura's son."

"Is the brother an agent as well."

"No, he is a petty con artist."

Ethan who was coming out of Kelly's stopped and said. "I am far from petty mate."

Ethan looked at Willow. "Ah the teacher."

"The Lurker." She replied smiling

Chase stood up. "So, you are Ethan Lovett?"

"Depends is there a warrant in your pocket?" Ethan put his hand out and smiled. "And you are?"

"Detective Harrison Chase Port Charles Police."

"Pleased to meet you." Ethan said, He turned to Willow. "Ms. Tait, right?"

"Willow."

Ethan nodded. "How do you two know each other" Chase asked.

"Ethan was lurking by the playground the other day. I thought he was some kind of weirdo, but you were there to look in on your niece and nephew, weren't you?"

Ethan nodded. "Yes, I did not mean to scare you but at the time I thought I was only going to be in town for a few hours."

"And now?" Chase asked.

Ethan reached in his pocket and handed both Chase and Willow a card. "And now I am opening Luke's Blues Club on the Haunted Star, we should be open by the end of the month. Please come on in and have a drink on me."

"You are reopening the casino?" Chase said.

"No. Though we will have some poker at the captain's table."

Chase was about to say something else when his phone buzzed. He took the call after excusing himself. "What? No. I will be right there. Damn. Damn."

"Is everything alright" Willow asked

"They just found three kids OD in the old warehouse on Graymor."

"Dead" She asked sadly

"All three." He bent and kissed her. "I have to go."

"Yes yes of course."

"Ethan" Chase said as he walked away.

"Detective." Ethan responded smiling.

Willow and Ethan watched Chase stride away. Ethan looked at her and smiled. "So, tell me" he said sitting down "What is it like to teach my niece and nephew. I bet Charlotte is a handful."

"Her Stepmother was" Willow said smiling.

Curtis Ashford had listened as Ned and Sam briefed him on the project they were working on. "So, you want me to join this Fer de Lance as a Security Guard and try to listen in on what is up"

"I think if you go in as yourself, not an undercover ID but with your background in corporate security and private investigation you will actually start higher then just a guard and be able to learn even more."

Curtis nodded. "Yes, that does make sense. Are we looking at operatives for the other organizations?"

Ned smiled. "If you have recommendations then I will run it by Michael and see what he thinks about even more investigations."

"Okay. "Said Curtis. "Fair enough."

He began to write down the names of the other companies. "So, joining Fer De Lance, we have Bushwhacker, Diamondback, Sidewinder."

"Hold on Hold on" Said Sam. "Do you see it?"

"See what?" Asked Ned.

"These companies, they are all named after snakes." Sam said.

"You are right." Curtis said.

"So, we have our pattern?" Ned said.

"It is a start, dig out the file on the companies that ELQ is looking to purchase for the GH take over."

Ned shifted some of the files on the desk. "Here we go." He divided up the folders among the three of them. "There should be some mention of other companies that may have expressed interest in the sales."

As they shifted through the folders Michael walked in. Ned quickly brought him up to date. "Snakes?'

"It is a pattern Michael, maybe not a great, one but a pattern." Sam said.

Michael held up a finger "Hold on."

He vanished out of the office and came back a moment later holding a folder. "This is a pharmaceutical company in Canada, it does not have anything to do with the GH take over, but it is our prototype on how to proceed."

"Prototype" Curtis said

Michael nodded "One of the things my Grandfather taught us was that if you are looking to close a big deal, close a small one first with a similar company, he called it "Swinging in the on-deck circle""

"sounds like a good idea." Curtis said.

"Grandfather was filled with good ideas. "Ned said. "So, what do you have Michael?"

'This company Langaha nasuta, countered our bid. I have the accounting staff working on a counteroffer to theirs and the name really did not register until now."

'What does that name have to do with snakes?" Sam asked.

"It is the name of an Asian Vine snake, known for a kind of 'horn' that sticks out from its head." Michael said.

Ned shook his head. "How do you know that?"

Michael laughed. "I may not have a degree in business, but I spent a whole summer when I was seven learning about every snake on the planet."

"So that is our Snake company, bidding across the border, are they located there?"

Michael shook his head. "No, they are incorporated in Yonkers, just North of the Bronx."

"Okay then." Said Sam. "Curtis goes to Fer De Lance and I can go online and see if Langaha is hiring."

Michael agreed. "Okay let's get to work on this then, ELQ and Port Charles, herself can't afford for this GH deal not to work."

Sam and Curtis gathered their paperwork and left the conference room. Ned gripped Michael's arm. "You sounded a little bit more worried boss."

Michael smiled tightly at his cousin. "I just committed us to ten million to Carly for the warehouses south of GH to build the Steve hardy Medical Center. It leaves us a little cash poor until the next quarter."

"Was that wise?"

"I am gambling on the idea that my mother will not be able to resist fronting Sonny some of that money. In which case we get the property and she forfeit the cash."

"And you are sure that you will be able to tell if she funnels some of it to Sonny?"

"I have someone on the inside." Michael said.

Dev and Nisida came out of the supermarket and were loading the car when a man got out of the car across from them and yelled out. "Hey, you hot pants, did I see you on the docks the other night?"

Nisida turned and looked at the man. Recognition flashed in her eyes. "Yeah you did"

"Looking for a date?" The man shouted.

"How Much?"

Dev grabbed her arm "Hey Miss Benson has not approved this."

Nisida tugged her arm away. "How much mister?"

"Come over here." The man yelled.

Nisida started to walk towards the man. "Hey" Dev said.

Nisida turned around "Get in the car, I just want to talk to him and see what he says. I can at least check local prices for Miss Benson."

Dev sucked in air; he was not about to get into a fight in the parking lot with the girl. He was, he found more then a little jealous that she was going over to the guy.

Nisida slipped into the front seat of the man's car. "Mister Hasanapapa, hello Sir."

"He smiled and answered in Albanian. "I won't keep you long Nisida. The boy looks like he will explode with jealousy. I wanted you to know I am in town and will be taking over the operation."

"And should I leave Miss Benson's?"

"No. Stay till you hear from me."

The man reached into the back seat and handed Nisida a backpack. She unzipped the top portion. It was filled with pill bottles. "What "She said.

"Fentanyl, "He said. "Sell it. You have two weeks then there will be another pack"

Nisida recoiled. "I am not a drug dealer."

Hasanpapa placed his hand on her bare knee and squeezed "You are what we tell you, you are your dumb whore."

He kept pressing until he left a mark on her leg. "Tell your little boy friend that I was too rough. Go jump out of the car. "

Nisida pushed the door of the car open and hopped out yelling. "You creep. That hurt. I'm keeping this" She leapt out of the car and raced over to Dev.

"Drive. That guy was a creep."

Dev took a step towards the man but Nisida pushed him towards the car. "No please, let's just go. I was so wrong. Please."

Donal Hasanpapa watched the car drive away. He took out his phone and dialed. "Ottoman, we need to meet. I am now in Port Charles."

In the Bronx a man in a blue and grey track suit sat across from Shehu and asked. "Sir, why do you not just kill this Morgan?"

"Several reasons first we are now home and what is the first rule of home?"

The man looked at Shehu and said. "The NYPD are no fools; we avoid not engage."

"Right the dead body of a man who will be certainly identified as Sonny Corinthos' right arm would be an engagement with the NYPD would it not?"

"Yes."

"Second, I am curious, this man came here to investigate: to try to find us, and yet all he seems to do is deliver pizza and hang out with this girl. I think that our Mister Morgan is far more enamored with life here in the Bronx amongst our people, then he ever meant to be. That is a weakness in a man who has shown very few. My curiosity is peaked. "Shehu sipped his tea. "What if, we could take this Morgan, and make him ours."

"He is said to have great loyalty to Corinthos."

"Have you seen Krasnqi's daughter?"

"She is beautiful. "

"And untouched by our world. She is a good girl." Shehu said laughing. "Have you ever met a man who could resist a truly good woman?"

Jason and Rovena sat eating dinner. "Try it" Jason said. "Its lick it, suck it slam it. "He told her as she looked at the shot of tequila. He remembered Robin and her friends at Jake's and their after-work ritual.

The girl took the shot, licked the salt off, sucked the lime and slammed back the drink.

"Oh My God" She explained as she spit the drink from her mouth.

Jason laughed harder than he had in years.


End file.
